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MLB Rumors: Blake Swihart has been designated for assignment by the Boston Red Sox, per various reports on Twitter. Sandy Leon is reportedly being brought back up.
Swihart, 27, was a first round pick of the Red Sox in 2011, and while he was drafted as a solid-hitting catcher, his bat hasn’t done much in the majors, as he has slashed .255/.314/.365 in 626 major league plate appearances.
Moreover, his catching skills have not gotten good reviews, which would seem to be why the Red Sox are making this move. Boston is off to an abysmal start, and their pitching has been especially bad — they have a 5.93 ERA currently, 13th in the A.L., with every starting pitcher other than David Price having an ERA of 7.98 or higher.
Swihart is expected to be traded or lost on waivers. Boston has stuck it out with him for a long time, but with the team struggling early, Swihart appears to be the scapegoat, as the team will go back to the light-hitting but well-regarded defensively Leon.
We have talked before about Swihart potentially being a Ranger target as a switch-hitting bench piece, though given the current makeup of the Rangers, I’m not sure how much interest Texas would have in him, or where he would fit on the club.